Austria – Bavaria and Lower Austria want to work together more closely in the future to enhance research in the field of hydrogen technology. In Munich, an agreement that should benefit all parties was inked.
Climate change, gas shortages, and the energy crisis are just a few of the many reasons to transition to renewable energies and use fewer fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources including water, wind, and solar make up the majority of the energy sources used today. These resources can either be used right away or kept accessible via buffer and battery storage. Storage and transportation of hydrogen are made easier, especially when it is produced responsibly. There will, however, be a considerable wait before fuel cell technology gets extensively deployed.
The example of the automaker shows that long lead times are necessary for hydrogen to be widely and generally applicable. The cooperation between Lower Austria and Bavaria should therefore be a boost for both.
On the one hand, a decision was made to engage in a scientific and economic exchange because there are currently novel hydrogen-related products on the market.
Regional cooperation
Another important element is hydrogen’s accessibility. The raw material will also need to be transported via pipeline if hydrogen is needed for both industrial and transportation. In this situation, they want to rely on shared pipelines. For instance, hydrogen produced in Africa might be transported via specialized pipelines to southern Europe. It would be simple to change the existing gas lines in this way. Markus Söder, the prime minister of Bavaria, claims that Bavarians anticipate further collaboration with Lower Austria in this regard.
Not just in Europe is the significance of hydrogen as a future technology understood. Large investments are being made in this technology by both Asia and the USA. To play a leadership role in this in the future, Europe needs regional cooperation, as was recently the case between Lower Austria and Bavaria.
